News in Brief

Te Ao Hou, April 1956, Page 11

News in Brief For the first time, a Maori has won the title of “Mr New Zealand,” which is competed for annually at the New Zealand weight-lighting championships. He is Mr Murray Rupena, a 35-year-old driver from Wanganui. Mr Rupena is described as having a massive body with superbly developed muscles. There were 53 entries in the contest. * * * Eight acres at Te Tii—opposite the treaty grounds at Waitangi—have been set aside as a recreation area for the common use of the Maori people of New Zealand and their descendants. This is the place to which the chiefs retired to consider signing the Treaty of Waitangi. It contains the Treaty House. * * * When the plans are completed, in about two months' time, tenders will be called for a new Maori girls' hostel at Spotswood, New Plymouth, the minister of the Whiteley Memorial Methodist Church, the Rev E. T. Olds, announced. The hostel, which will cost between £50,000 and £60,000, is designed to accommodate 50 girls, said Mr Olds. It will include an administrative block, the matron's flat, and two living blocks, one for girls attending school and the other for girls at work. The girls will come from all over the North Island. The hostel will be built on rising ground with a fine view of the sea. * * * More than 1500 people from all parts of New Zealand, including a group from the Ngati Poneke Young Maori Club, attended the opening of the meeting house at Pirinoa (Wairarapa). The meeting house was opened by Mr E. C. Holmes, who received the praise of many speakers for the part he had played. It was said that without his efforts the meeting house might not have been built. Religious services were conducted by Mr E. T. Tirikatene, M.P., of the Ratana Church; Canon Paul Temuera, of Otaki, and Elder Harris, of the Latter Day Saints. A special Roman Catholic service was held at Martinborough. * * * Graham Puka Barney Anderson, of Te Aute College, has been awarded the William Robert Friar Memorial prize for the best school cadet in the Central Military District, Wellington. Previous winners of this prize have included some of New Zealand's most distinguished soldiers.